Mobile devices that include speakers can be used in a variety of environments from warm humid conditions to cold store freezers. In some circumstances, mobile devices, such as those used in warehousing applications, could be passing between these environments frequently. In such situations condensation can start to freeze onto the mobile device. Speakers that include speaker grills have many narrow surfaces that form apertures, and ice can quickly build up between the apertures. As such, ice can quickly grow on a speaker grill, for example by locking onto and blocking the apertures. This can dramatically reduce the speaker performance and possibly cause damage. While speakers and/or speaker grills can be provided with heating elements and heated therewith to reduce ice build-up, such heating elements lead to extra complexity and extra power consumption, the latter of which is especially undesirable in mobile devices.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of implementations of the present specification.
The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the implementations of the present specification so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.